In MMD 990404 Joyce Brite said:

> What I'm looking for is just the turntable component with a 78
> setting that I can switch with my Technics turntable when necessary.

Hi all, a couple of comments on this.

1)  There _are_ electronic circuits for making your turntable run fast
on, say, the 45 RPM setting, depending on the type of motor in your
Technics turntable, BUT be warned, some motors do not like it and can
overheat badly.  And also...

2)  You will need a _different_ needle (or stylus) fitted to the
cartridge at the end of the tone arm, to what you usually use for your
(microgroove LP) 33 1/3 and 45 rpm records, as the old 78's used a
larger groove and you'll wreck both the records and the stylus if you
don't use the correct ones.

3)  Noting the above, it is quite feasible to find older turntables
with 78 rpm (and other, even 16 rpm) speeds, in a case without the full
set of electronics of a "record player".  These "decks" were used in
conjunction with a separate stereo amplifier and shouldn't be too hard
to find.  For example, the BSR-MacDonald wooden-cased unit I own (ex my
late father) does 33 1/3, 45, and 78 rpm, and has cables to connect it
to the "Phono" inputs (low level RIAA equalisation input) of a suitably
equipped amplifier.

Many of these "middle-aged" 33/45/78-rpm decks were of surprisingly
high quality, and you may find one even better than your Technics in
terms of speed stability and minimal "rumble" affecting the sound.
More recent turntables supplied with cheap home stereos are lightweight
shoddy plastic jobs, with no inertia in the turntable and poor quality
tone arm/cartridge/stylus units (a token gesture for playing party
records, really).

If your modern amp only has AUX or CD (line-level) inputs there are
circuits available to build a "pre-amp" into the turntable or amplifier
case, which boosts to the right signal level.  If you have a 3-in-one
unit with no AUX inputs at all, you can usually interrupt the leads to
the internal turntable and bring them out to switched sockets on the
back panel if needed.

Hope this is helpful.

Regards,

Dave Chisholm
Sideline Systems Ltd
New & Used Mac Computers and Consultancy
P.O.Box 876 Palmerston North, New Zealand